The skin is a busy frontier that mediates between the body organism and the environment. The color, texture, odor, and moisture condition of the skin vary considerably. Only water will plasticize the outer layer of the epidermis to give a softer, smoother skin. Cosmetic creams, lotions, oils have been utilized to soften the outer layer or epidermis of the skin and prevent escape of moisture. Damaged skin is usually manifested by dryness. Dry skin is caused by prolonged exposure to low humidity and air movement and/or by chemical changes due to aging or continual degreasing. The removal of oil from the skin causes a tendency for the pH of the skin to lean toward acidity. Skin that has been stressed can be simply dry with varied degrees of roughness. Fissures may also be present in the skin.
Some attempts have been made to enhance the condition of the skin by adding microscopic bubbles of carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) to a skin preparation such as is described in Heath U.S. Pat. No. 1,494,544. Hempel U.S. Pat. No. 1,022,627 and Great Britain Patent No. 776,293 disclose medicinal and therapeutic baths prepared by adding sodium bicarbonate to water.